When Being Qualified Isn't Enough

SPECIAL ADVERTISNIG FEATURE

September 24, 2010|By Joyce Lain Kennedy, Career Q & A

DEAR JOYCE: I've never been unemployed before, but suddenly I was laid off. Worse, I can't seem to get an interview, even for jobs where I'm perfectly qualified. What must I do to prove that I'm worth a look? -- J.S.

DEAR J.S.: Peter Weddle, today's guest columnist, answers your question. Weddle, a well-known job search expert who has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and on CNN.com, has written a thoughtful and spunky new book to help you handle your frightening problem: "The Career Activist Republic." (You can read a free excerpt of this tantalizing title on weddles.com.) Here's his advice:

NEW RULES. Your experience is similar to that of a lot of people in the job market these days. Employers have been forced to change the rules of the game, but no one has told job seekers.

As I explain in my book, today's highly competitive global marketplace has convinced employers they can no longer survive, let alone prosper, with a workforce of average performers. What they want -- in fact, what they're desperate to find -- are workers who can and will excel at their job. They are searching for "persons of talent."

How can you convince employers you're made of such stuff? A common mistake when presenting credentials is focusing on what you've done. That's important, but far and away more significant is what you've accomplished. Talent is the capacity for excellence, so show employers two things:

RELATED ISSUE. A kindred situation is happening all over the country -- companies are hiring and, at the same time, laying off people. Most of the people going out the door aren't superstars, but they aren't slackers either. They're just regular average employees.

According to one survey, 62 percent of employers are "trading up" -- they're laying off average performers, changing the description of their jobs, and hiring star performers. It's fantasy-sports-team management for real.

How can you protect yourself? That's what career activism is all about. It involves doing three things:

-- Make a commitment to perform at your peak every single day.

-- Make a meaningful contribution on the job every single day.

-- Make sure your skills and knowledge are up to date every single day.

Are the rewards worth the effort? Consider this: The recent recession was the first economic downturn in American history where the pay of those who remained employed actually went up. And not by a little bit, but by a whopping 5 percent.

CHANGING JOBS. Some people, bored with routine work, wonder if they dare look for something different right now, given the state of the economy.

I say go for it, but with this qualification: Today's job market is not for the unprepared or the faint of heart. That said, a lot of people are on the move voluntarily. In fact, according to the Department of Labor, between February and April of this year, more people resigned from their jobs (2 million) than were laid off (1.7 million).

To be successful in transition, you have to be brutally honest with yourself about your capabilities and brutally realistic about your employment goals. Even with that foundation, you're likely to find it difficult to stand out in today's overcrowded job market. For that reason, you have to take one additional step: position yourself as the extraordinary candidate.

STAND OUT. Even as you launch your job search, enroll in an academic program or training course to improve your skills, and note that you're doing so on your resume. Presenting yourself as a work in progress impresses employers because it signals that you understand the importance of staying current in your field and that you take responsibility for doing so. That's extraordinary. You're a career activist.

(E-mail career questions for possible use in this column to Joyce Lain Kennedy at jlk@sunfeatures.com; use "Reader Question" for subject line. Or mail her at Box 368, Cardiff, CA 92007.) (C) 2009 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.